Adrenal Fatigue, A Constant Companion Of Modern Day Living

Adrenal Fatigue- The Everyday Companion of Modern Day Living

Adrenal Fatigue seems to be an everyday companion during times of increased stress.
Adrenal Fatigue develops when the blows of life become unrelenting, a struggling economy
with financial pressures and job losses is the perfect scenario for fueling this condition.

Stress comes into our lives in many different forms. We may experience stress when dealing with the daily pressures of a demanding job or living through the financial hardships of a struggling economy. Anyone that has survived the death of a loved one or persists in a toxic relationship is also very familiar with the symptoms of adrenal fatigue. People living in the daily struggle of coping with a serious injury or chronic illness perhaps made worse by eating poor quality food is also under an intense amounts of stress.

So you see, stress is part of life and all of these individuals are very likely to suffer from intense adrenal fatigue at one point or another. They are also prone to the more serious danger of adrenal collapse, or nervous breakdown.

Important Hormones From The Adrenal Glands

Your adrenal glands sit on top of your kidneys and produce important hormones like cortisol, adrenaline and DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone).

These hormones help your body buffer stress and adapt to everyday life demands by tapering their stress response. Under conditions of stress healthy adrenals produce a higher output of cortisol and DHEA to preserve your health. The adrenals are also making adrenaline during all of this time. Adrenaline is the hormones that boosts your energy levels whenever it is needed. Adrenaline gives you that jittery feeling that your body experiences whenever you are thrown into a ’fight-or-flight’ situation in response to an impending attack. Even if the attack is imaginary which often occurs to individuals who have not developed good coping mechanisms for the stresses of everyday living. If the stress becomes chronic, the adrenals overproduce adrenaline until they can no longer keep up with the demands for this hormone. When this happens, your DHEA and cortisol levels being dropping of. This is the signal that your glands are reaching the point of adrenal exhaustion. In addition, the overstimulation of adrenaline can cause you to feel anxious and nervous all of the time.

Adrenal fatigue also causes decreases in estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. The depletion of these key hormones wreak havoc on your system and cause a myriad of symptoms, with great effects on your everyday life.

The graph (left) shows the normal pathways for the production of sex hormones. It all begins with the conversion of cholesterol to progesterone which then continues down other pathways towards the metabolites that produce cortisol, DHEA, testosterone and estrogens. Any alteration in the body's requirements for the stress hormone cortisol leads to a process known as ’progesterone steal’. During the progesterone steal, the progesterone pathways are driven towards producing great amounts of cortisol at the expense of the sex hormones. This overproduction of cortisol is a catabolic process (breakdown pathways), whereas production of DHEA and other sex hormones that come from DHEA is an anabolic process (body building process). The illustration below demonstrates the progesterone steal pathway favored in times of great adrenal fatigue, stress and burnout. It is estimated that 80% of North Americans have suffered from the effects of adrenal fatigue as some point in their lives, whether minimal or extensive, temporary or long lasting over several years.

What Are The Signs Of Adrenal Fatigue?

Fatigue
Decreased Productivity
Insomnia
Weight Gain
Exhaustion regardless of adequate amount of sleep
Depression
Decreased sex drive
Brain fog and memory problems
Hair loss
Reliance on stimulants like caffeine
Cravings for sweet or salty snacks
Poor Immune Function.

What Adrenal Fatigue Does To The Body

Adrenal fatigue may be a probable component in certain medical conditions, including:

Hypoglycemia
Adult Onset Diabetes
Respiratory Infections
Fibromyalgia
Autoimmune Disorders
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Arthritis

The Youthful Aging Center works closely with authoritative research and nutraceutical labs that have been providing working solutions for Adrenal Fatigue for many, many years. The key laboratory test that I perform in order to evaluate my patients for Adrenal Fatigue is the Adrenal Stress Index (ASI) salivary test processed by DiagnosTechs, Inc. This test helps me to uncover any abnormal adrenal rhythms which will greatly influence many bodily functions. These functions include:

Energy Production: Abnormal adrenal function can alter the ability of cells to produce energy for activities of daily living. People who have a hard time rising in the morning, or suffer with low energy levels during the day often have abnormal adrenal rhythms and poor blood sugar regulation.
Muscle and Joint Function: Abnormal adrenal rhythms are known to compromise tissue healing. Reduced tissue repair and increased tissue breakdown can lead to muscle and joint breakdown with chronic pain.
Bone Health: The adrenal rhythm determines how well we build bone. Stress is the enemy of the bones. In postmenopausal women, the effect of stress worsens due to the female hormone imbalance
Immune Health: Short and long term stress is known to suppress the immune response on the surfaces of our body as in the lungs, throat, urinary and intestinal tracts. With the reduction in the surface antibody (called secretory IgA, or SIgA) the resistance to infection is reduced and allergic reactions are believed to increase.
Sleep Quality: The ability to enter REM sleep cycles (regenerative sleep) is interrupted by high cortisol levels at night and in the morning. Chronic lack of REM sleep can reduce the mental vitality and vigor of a person and induce depression.
Skin Regeneration: Human skin regenerates mostly during the night. with higher night cortisol levels, less regeneration takes place. So a normal cortisol rhythm is vital for optimal skin health and beauty.
Thyroid Function: The level of cortisol at the cell level controls thyroid hormone production. Often hypothyroid symptoms like fatigue and low body temperature can be due to an adrenal maladaptation.
Grain Intolerance and Stress Response: About 12-18% of the US Population suffers from a genetic intolerance to grain. The gut becomes inflamed within 30 minutes after eating grains and this can lead to an adrenal stress response, increased cortisol and reduced DHEA.

Testing For The Adrenal Functions Using The ASI Panel

You will collect four salivary samples of your ASI panel which include the following tests:

4 Diurnal Cortisol Levels to evaluate the stress response and patterns of cortisol release,
2 Insulin Levels before and after a meal to investigate your blood sugar control,
DHEA Levels to determine your ability to adapt to stress as DHEA depletes the closer you get to adrenal collapse,
Secretory SIgA Levels to evaluate your stress level’s toll on your immunity,
17-OH Progesterone Levels to determine how much adrenal reserves you still have available, and
Gluten Antibody Levels to identify any grain intolerance that may be causing chronic inflammation in your body. If positive, this would be the source of constant stress that may be leading you to adrenal fatigue, the same as if you were suffering from any other type of chronic illness.

The Many Important Functions Of Cortisol Within Your Body

Converts protein into energy by increasing amino acids in the bloodstream,
Stimulated the liver to convert amino acids into glucose as needed for energy,
Counters inflammation and allergies,
Helps maintain blood pressure,
Aids in stress reactions,
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Arthritis

The Many Important Functions of DHEA Within Your Body

Precursor for testosterone and estrogen,
Improves resistance to viruses, bacteria, parasites, allergens and cancer,
Prevents osteoporosis,
Lowers total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol.
Increases muscle mass and decreases total body fat.

Ways To Naturally Restore Your Cortisol Levels

Avoid refined sugars, caffeine & alcohol, the diet should consist of several small meals containing protein,
Test and determine allergic foods and avoid them in your diet,
Ginseng and/or licorice tea can be supportive,
Adequate Vitamin C is important,
Get adequate sleep and go to bed at 10pm,
Use stress-management techniques,
Deal with emotions as needed with laughter, breathing and/or professional help,
Engage in light exercise,
Get daily outdoor sunlight.

With proper treatment patients with fatigue can recover fully. The Youthful AGing Center evaluates each individual's symptoms using the appropriate tests and questionnaires to determine their particular stress type and individualize a treatment plan that is unique to each individual. The custom treatment program may include Bioidentical Hormone Restoration and prescription strength Nutraceutical Formulations available only by physician prescription. Let us customize a treatment program for your recovery today.

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